Looking For Trouble
by Yami Vizzini
Summary: Picks up after KMM. Ash is back, but not as we know him. Now the rest of his nakama have to figure out what's what as Team Rocket expands its web, and a buttload of spanners start throwing themselves into the works.... ON HIATUS
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or any characters in this story (so far…)

Prologue: Thoughts of the Outcast

It had taken months- months? Nay, years!- but his greatest creation was once again complete. The thin young man, the world's greatest (at least in his eyes) collector of Pokemon artifacts (and indeed, Pokemon), was almost ready to take his ultimate fortress into the air once again to resume his quest.

Lawrence Jiraudan III gave a small smile, though there was no one to see it, looking down for a moment from his control deck at the top of the Hikokyu towards the ocean vista below, then resumed his adjustments of one panel of wires.

"And that's a wrap," said the young collector, as he placed the final wire in a socket and locked the panel back on. Standing up, he registered with ecstasy the restored hum… and then…

"It's a pleasure to be of service again, sir," said the female voice emanating from unseen speakers.

"And another to have you back," replied Lawrence. Perhaps "back" wasn't strictly accurate. During the repairs, Lawrence had programmed some more advanced AI into the system; the ship could practically run itself. It also seemed self-aware… whether or not it truly was such was next to impossible to discern. After all, what really was self-awareness? A worm might be aware of its existence, but it never truly thought, "I am", simply because that wasn't what it did. And could a building's security system be called alive because it could see and hear everything around it? Not that Lawrence cared about such things, of course. He was satisfied with a good autopilot and someone who appeared to be a good conversationalist. It wasn't that he didn't desire human company (that was the point in the conversation part, after all); he'd learned from experience that no one desired his company… or at any rate they couldn't , or wouldn't, share his passion for creating a greater picture of the Pokemon world….

_Better stop that,_ he thought, shaking his head and sitting back in his chair. There were some thoughts best left undisturbed.

He ran his hand lazily over the controls, not really paying attention, as his mind flew across his next goals faster than the Hikokyu could ever go, his fingers activating the flight system thanks to years of practice.

"So what do you have planned next, Lawrence?" inquired the computer's voice.

The collector subconsciously frowned a bit, playing with a lock of green-blond hair. He hadn't realized just how informal his new programming was; and there seemed to be a tone he couldn't quite place, too. Was it… anticipation? "Next I'm starting to think you need a name; I don't think I'll be comfortable just saying 'Computer' now. Any preference?"

The voice was silent for a moment, then replied, "I'm not the one familiar with human names."

"Fine then. Let's see… Hikokyu… H… Hilary? Yes… that's from "cheerful" in one of the older languages, Latin. It suits you."

"Will that be all, then?" the newly christened AI asked.

"Yes, I'll take it for now." Lawrence Jiraudan III turned his attention to the controls. He had a lesson to teach to a pair of unruly girls who called themselves Pokemon thieves….

Anyone guess who he's after? Not that they'll come into the story again for a while….


	2. A League of Whose Own?

Disclaimer: Do I need to say every time that I don't own Pokemon? Eh… can't hurt.

Well, here it finally is: the first chapter of my new story (and so far the longest chapter I've written). Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter 1: A League of Whose Own?

"Hey, little sis, hurry up with those cleaners!"

"Coming, Daisy." Misty Warrick grumbled a bit as she opened the closet door and found what the chemicals in question. Every year or so, the Cerulean City Gym Leaders made a point of draining the gym's pool and giving it a thorough going-over to get rid of the residue from countless Pokemon battling. That time had come again, and Misty, though her sisters had now returned from their travels and officially become the Gym Leaders once again, found herself more and more helping to run the gym, including taking on challengers occasionally.

It wasn't as though there was anything else she really wanted to do. Not since… Not for a long time.

She took two of the containers in hand and headed back to the central arena as quickly as she could, considering the weight she was carrying.

An outsider walking into the gym at that point might have thought of a great but sick or dead beast, drained of its vitality, the aura that made it mighty. Of course, this is only so something better can appear; in this case, it was a clean pool for proper recreation, Pokemon battling and otherwise.

"So how do I get these down there again?" Misty was really starting to feel strain.

"Just hand them to me." Below, Misty's blonde-haired older sister stretched her arms upward to take a container in hand, then hoisted the other one down.

Misty vaulted over the edge of the pool, wincing slightly as she made contact with the bottom.

"That'll teach you to jump 15 feet straight down without blinking," grinned her sister.

The youngest Cerulean Sister only looked around. "Hey, where did Violet and Lily go?"

Daisy shrugged. "They wanted to bring a TV down here for some reason. Soaps, probably." She shrugged again. "I suppose it couldn't hurt to enjoy ourselves while we work."

"Let's just get this over with." Misty grabbed a sponge, but stopped cold when a shriek emanated from the upper levels of the building.

_What the heck?_ She dropped the sponge and ran to a nearby ladder; Daisy reflexively tried to jump up the same way her sister had come down before following her to the ladder.

Their first thought when they found their sisters was one of annoyance; not only did there appear to be no danger, but Violet and Lily were actually sitting in the hall, looking at the device they had been transporting.

"What the hell is with you two?" Daisy snapped.

"Umm… sorry sis…." The blue-haired Violet replied haltingly. "We thought we wouldn't get it down in time for the show to start, so we decided to watch the first couple of minutes and come down during the commercials… but then we saw this!"

Daisy (still rather miffed and skeptical) and Misty (more curious than anything else) moved around to see the screen. For a moment, there didn't seem to be anything particularly noteworthy about it; it was showing some sort of press conference.

"Look who's talking, though," Violet answered her sister's unspoken rebuke. "Didn't we all think he was dead by now?"

The two standing leaned forward, and their mouths dropped open- Misty's especially. As the camera zoomed in, they could make out the figure at the podium only too clearly: a young man with messy black hair, a smudgy face, and an earnest smile. It seemed different, but it _had_ been a year….

It had been a sad group indeed after a month of fruitless searching. Defeating the Mew-clones, wherever they had come from, had been one thing, but their friend had still not returned. After a week, Delia had contacted police, but the Jennies and their compatriots had come up with nothing. Though "Missing" posters had stayed up, Ash's mother, as well as the young trainer's friends, had resigned themselves to the possibility, apparently fact, that he (and Pikachu and the other Pokemon he had been carrying) had somehow fallen prey to the thing that had called itself Mewtres before it had come across Misty.

Yet there he was on the television screen. Misty's heart leapt into her throat out of pure shock… at least, that's what she told herself.

"For those of you who are just tuning in," an announcer suddenly said, "this is the Kanto Technical Network recovering a conference held by Silph Enterprises last night. The Saffron scientific firm, known for its work in information transmission and Pokemon containment, has hinted at startling new developments in line. One had already become apparent, as the first keynote speaker is none other that noted Pokemon trainer Ashton Ketchum, who after a relatively short career, including impressive stints in the indigo and Johto Leagues, won last year's Hoenn League competition before disappearing without a trace. He now claimed that he was training privately in the northern mountains and that it was for the best that he was left alone. This is his first public appearance in a year, and it is an unorthodox one indeed, as he seems to have come under the wing of Silph's leaders. We now return to footage of the conference, where KTN's Kevin Grisham was present."

By now the camera had moved in close enough for Misty to see her old friend more clearly, and if she hadn't heard the announcer, she might have thought she'd been mistaken. His wardrobe had changed, for one thing. His head was devoid of his trademark cap, and though he still wore a jacket and jeans, they were as black as the T-shirt underneath. More than that, though, there was something weird about his dark brown eyes; they were as vibrant as ever, but there seemed to be something more piercing underneath, almost cold even. Plus, he looked taller, and perhaps a bit more muscular, but that didn't bother her so much; after a year of training, what did you expect? It was everything combined, really, that bugged her….

Including the fact that he hadn't contacted his friends now that his solitude was over. _That is so LIKE that idiot!_, she thought, her joy having worn slightly off by now.

But no… no, it wasn't; she had to admit that. Then again, he wouldn't have known where to find everyone, would he? Well, he could have called his mother at least… no, he probably had, and Delia just hadn't gotten to anyone else yet, or at least not to her. It had just been last night that this had happened, after all.

_Quit acting paranoid,_ she berated herself, and concentrated on the screen.

"Hi to everyone out there," Ash (and that was another thing… why had the announcer called him by his full name? He almost never used it… then again, the media was always unpredictable) said to the crowd below him. "It's a bit refreshing, I guess, to see so many human faces, especially that I really have something to say to them- something more relevant than the mundane tale of running around grabbing as many Pokemon as you can get."

Alarm bells. That wasn't (or hadn't been) Ash's attitude toward training at all. And he seemed to be speaking differently, too… that thing she had seen in his eyes was in his voice, for one thing. And she didn't think she'd ever even heard him use the words "relevant" or "mundane" before.

"Anyway, to fully understand what I'm about to explain, I guess you'll need to hear the context in which it was formed. So here goes.

"A year ago, as you know, I had just returned from the Hoenn region, but I was still restless as always. After a week at home, I had started to wonder just where my life was going. In an attempt to relieve myself a bit, I went for a bit of solo training one night. I think, by now, I had subconsciously figured out what I needed to do.

"As I walked, I reflected that these were the only times my head truly felt clear: away from the chaos of civilization, only my Pokemon for company. And then it came to me; truly, it was a classic epiphanic moment. The only way I could truly figure out my destiny was to be on my own, free to train myself as well as my Pokemon. And so I left. I know it may seem callous to you, but it seemed to be the only option; and you'll see that I turned out to be at least partially correct.

"My original plan was to go to Mt. Silver, which, being west of Viridian City, was not all that far from my hometown of Pallet. However, I soon comprehended that the hustle and bustle of the Johto League headquarters was not at all suitable for what I had in mind.

"I was about halfway between Viridian and the foothills, trying to figure out what to do, when I met the great man you see before you."

Misty, still reeling from the tale as well as the sophisticated and un-Ash-like words, tried to figure out whom he meant, when one of the people sitting in a row of chairs behind the podium got up and walked to the front. A giant closer to seven feet than six, it seemed, with slick mahogany hair, a chiseled face with a powerful and wry grin, dark eyes, and an orange brass-buttoned suit, with a red tie visible underneath over the collars of a green sweater and a yellow shirt. He seemed familiar somehow….

With a jolt, Misty remembered that he had been with Team Rocket that day in Purity Canyon, and he had looked more like a leader than a prisoner.

"That's him!" Misty spun around at Lily's exclamation. "That's the Viridian Gym Leader… well, was. Isn't he dreamy?"

"I think he's a bit old for you, little sis," Daisy replied with the term usually reserved for the "runt" next to her (who was now about as tall as any of them). "Besides, he always seemed a bit weird to me. He should have rebuilt his gym instead of running this company. How Ash is involved with him, I don't know. Eh- maybe he'll fill us in when we see him."

Misty and Violet only leaned forward (Misty sat down, followed by Daisy) to see what came next. The man spoke.

"I had of course heard of this astute young fellow, but I can't say that I knew all that much about him; I was unfortunately out of town the particular day he visited the Viridian Gym. Though I had left some assistants in charge, as some of you may know, my Gym was attacked by members of the extrasocial organization known as Team Rocket; it was demolished in the resulting battle. I confess that one of my failings has been not focusing more on rebuilding, but, as you will soon see, much larger things have occupied my mind these past few years.

"Anyway, he eventually told me what he was doing, and I realized that he would be a valuable ally in what I had been organizing. He agreed to join me at a training center I had established in the northern mountains as we both tried to get our lives in order. And now, the moment of truth has arrived. If you please, my friend, you should give this announcement."

Ash moved forward again. "Mr. Giovanni has conferred with his fellow Gym Leaders, who are aware of the interest his company has taken in Pokemon technology, and a merger has been set in motion with the whole of the League. As of May 1 of next year, Pokemon activity in this country will be overseen by a completely revamped organization that will move it into a sophisticated new era, the Kanto-Silph Pokemon Confederation!"

Murmuring began throughout the conference hall, some sounding positive, but a good deal more was unsure, and some of the reporters and other visitors even seemed to be glancing at one another as though sharing suspicion.

"This body would regulate not only training, but also oversee breeding, as well as other uses of Pokemon such as electric types used to provide power to outlying regions. And that, my friends, is but the tip of the iceberg. Our colleagues in Johto, and even a few across the seas in Hoenn, have shown some appreciation for this idea, and have expressed the opinion that an all-around union to guide Pokemon-related activity would be a benefit. If developments continue as swimmingly as they are now, it is expected that an international Pokemon Union may be established within five years."

The response from both the media representatives and the general public this time was both louder and, almost on the whole, more joyous; many were disgruntled with the cumbersome and occasionally cold relations between different countries and their Leagues, and had advocated (or hoped for) increased cooperation. To them, this consolidation of authority was long overdue. On the other hand, a very few seemed to be walking right out of the meeting- but they were the only ones there who did not share in the optimism.

"And now"- Giovanni was speaking again- "I bid you all good day, and hope that we will all be united over the coming months in this endeavor to create a new, united world"- he spread his arms- "_our_ world."

Daisy reached over, shut off the TV, and turned to Violet and Lily angrily. "I don't recall hearing anything about this at that League meeting we were called to when we were trying to relax in Spain…."

"Excuse me? I thought _I_ was the Gym Leader then!" Misty interrupted.

"Sorry, this was before you officially took over. But like I said, I didn't hear anything out of the ordinary."

Violet spoke again, though she did not quite meet her older sister's eyes. "Remember that conference I was called to for discussion about Pokemon transport?"

"That was when they talked about this?" Violet only nodded. "Why didn't you tell the rest of us? We're supposed to make decisions like this as a family!"

"They… I guess they all wanted to keep it under wraps until this conference last night."

"But Lily and I… and Misty, too, I guess… are Gym Leaders, for crying out loud! They have a lot of nerve to go behind our backs like this!"

Violet finally looked up and met her sister's glare, and, surprisingly, she had a glare too. "Maybe this is news to you, but no one is 'going behind your back'- because they don't _need_ to. You're not any better than me, or the rest of the Leaders. For that matter, I think this is why they didn't bother to call you. Giovanni actually told me that he saw me as levelheaded, and I think he and the others were trying to tell me that you were too… too _like this…_ too _arrogant_ to accept this, and now I find that they're right! And Lily- please, don't take this as aggression," she told her next sister down, softening her expression somewhat, "but you really aren't experienced enough to handle this sort of thing. I guess I'm a sort of middle ground."

"Yeah, perfect for getting trod on," snapped Misty. "You couldn't have told us about Ash?"

Violet whirled around, her pique suddenly returning. "Why do you think we screamed? I didn't know about him- like I care what this runt says!"

"I don't think Misty really fits that anymore; she really does her share to run the Gym."

"Stay out of this, Lily." Violet stood, and so did the rest. "You three simply don't understand what it takes to get things done. It's not like the League has to vote unanimously on everything like we always did; with so many differing trainers, we'd never get anything done!"

"Screw the way they do it!" Misty had never seen Daisy lose her temper this much. "You say that and call _me_ arrogant? So they can't agree on anything and we can! That just proves we have a stronger bond. We're a family!"

For a moment, it looked as though Violet wanted slap her sister, but restrained herself. "The League is my family," she responded in a voice that could encase a Torkoal in frost, then whirled around and walked briskly out of sight towards a back staricase.

The others stood there for a moment, then Daisy muttered, "I'm going to go back to the pool. You two can do whatever you want." She walked downstairs. A few seconds after she disappeared, Lily ran after her.

Misty stood in the hall, her head settling for a moment, then lifted the TV set and went to put it away.

Seven minutes later she was in her room, placing a call to the Pewter City Gym.

"Hello?" a young boy's voice answered (this isn't one of those videophones).

"Oh, hi, Andrew, it's Misty. Is your brother there?"

"Which one?"

"Brock, of course." She giggled a bit. She'd visited Brock's family often over the past year.

"Oh, hold on."

Misty stretched back on her bed, clutching the cordless handset.

"Misty, is that you?" inquired the voice of the aspiring Pokemon breeder.

"No, silly, it's the Dark Magician Girl!"

"You watch too much TV. And speaking of which, I've actually been meaning to call you."

"If you mean an old friend of ours has been resurrected and is messing with the Pokemon League, then I already know. Did you know anything about it?"

A sigh. "I never bothered to reregister the Gym after I came back. I don't get invited to those meetings anymore."

"Well, I should think they would have asked someone with your experience about this. Not that everyone is so inclusive." Misty explained what had just happened.

"Damn." It was quite possibly the first time she had ever heard Brock swear. "So, what are we supposed to do about it?"

Misty paused. She hadn't actually thought about what to do, if anything; she was so used to Brock dispensing advice when he wasn't fawning over every new girl he met.

"We're going to Saffron City and finding out what's going on… and I'm going to make Ash wish he'd never been born!"


	3. Back With The Wind?

One review? What the heck? Please, if you're reading this, no matter what you think of it, review and be honest!

And I'd like to apologize to Kaxanthedragon, if he/she is still reading this; I responded to his/her review for my previous Pokemon story, which stated that Mewtwo does in fact have a mouth (I just watched Mewtwo Strikes Back and can't imagine how I was so stupid), with the assertion that it referred to my description of the new Mew-clone I had introduced. I didn't realize until later that I had mentioned the real Mewtwo as lacking a mouth. No excuse. Just want to set the record straight so I didn't sound completely hopeless (too late). In fact, I think I'll go back and reload the chapters and fix everything now.

Well, enough seriousness; it's time for the next chapter!

Chapter Two: Back With The Wind?

And so they met on the outskirts of Cerulean City the next day, Misty and Brock, packed for their first long trek in nearly a year. They had considered asking Tracey to come along as well, but had eventually agreed that it wasn't a good idea to bother him with it- at least not yet.

There weren't many words to say now; just the usual hellos and a confirmation that they had all the supplies they needed (including a good map). With luck, it would take less than a week to reach Saffron, which was more or less directly south of Cerulean. And yet… it seemed like a longer road ahead somehow, without the antics of their young compatriot.

_Not so young now,_ Brock corrected himself silently. _And perhaps not our compatriot, either…._ He tried to shake that thought out of his head. They would find Ash, find out what was going on, and talk sense into that thick head of his- that was all, thank you very much.

After all- what else could happen?

But that night, something did happen in the metropolis of Saffron.

The city, though full of businesses, Pokemon gyms, and as many more places to go as one can imagine, was relatively quiet, though the occasional vehicle and/or drifter could often be seen, as with any city- fewer, actually, than most cities.

And one particularly dark and well-kept car now moved through the middle of the city, beneath the skyscrapers… including the tallest one of all, a 500' high cone with a giant sphere stuck into the top. And it was in front of this tower that it pulled to a stop.

The driver's door opened, and a man dressed in a dark suit and cap typical of a chauffeur emerged, then walked swiftly to the other side of the limousine, which faced the sidewalk. He opened the backseat door, and a solitary figure stepped onto the walk; the chauffeur then closed the door. "Will you be needing me at all?" he asked his passenger.

"No, thank you," the passenger replied. "Ah've been carrying on for years on my own, and I'll finish it on my own."

"As you wish," the driver submitted. "I only wished to be of assistance."

"You can be of assistance by waiting heah for mah return, when Ah have what Ah need…. To the ends of the earth and back," the passenger added in an undertone, then walked toward the building with an elegance and confidence, almost bordering on arrogance, that only this person could achieve.

The man walking along the upper deck of the Silph lobby saw the clear doors slide open; it might seem peculiar that the lobby was open at this time of night, but there was, as any would-be thieves would discover, there was nothing of any value whatsoever kept in this cavernous, open space. And there was no way whatsoever that they could get into the rest of the tower. The elevators and emergency stairwells were locked, for one thing, and everything was on up-to-the-millisecond, foolproof surveillance, with sensors built right into the walls.

And whoever entered the lobby would have to deal with the guard on the balcony.

The interloper became clearly visible now: a young woman with red, braided hair and extremely fancy-looking clothes; probably from some old family richer than God, he thought. What did she think she was doing in here? He strode over to the stairs and down towards the floor.

"What do you think you're doing in here?" _Oh, that sounded intelligent,_ he groaned silently, _but at least I'm asserting myself here._

If the woman was perturbed in the least, she didn't show it. "I'm here for what's mine," she responded in a haughty tone with an accent that, had the man lived in the United States instead of the relatively isolated Kanto (A/N: Kanto and Johto are on an island about halfway between the U.S. and Hawaii, on a parallel with Oregon, and Hoenn is a smaller island close to Hawaii), he might have thought reminiscent of the southern regions.

"I sincerely doubt that anything here belongs to you, _ma'am,_" the guard responded testily.

"I don't want any_thing_, you wannabe gladiator," the woman shot back; the guard was, peculiarly enough, decked out in a suit of armor similar to a gladiator outfit, complete with a helmet that obscured most of his face. "Where's James Halen?"

"Look, you crazy bitch, I don't know why you'd think he was here, why I'd know where he is at this hour, or why you think I should tell you anything. You have absolutely no right to be in here!"

"Well, then you should lock the doors- and you ought to treat a lady with more respect than this!"

"Well, if I meet one, I will." And with that said, the guard grabbed her and propelled her through the doors, then programmed a nearby keypad to lock them and walked away. _It's too late for this… I think I'll make Theo take over and get some shut-eye._

The woman stood there seething for a moment, not noticing her chauffeur running towards her until he asked, "Are you all right, madam?"

"Nothing some sleep won't cure," she replied irritably as she walked back to the car, a light breeze starting to ruffle the formerly still night. _But I will have my dear James back… and you corporate freaks will be sorry you ever crossed Jessibelle Jiraudan!_

(Four Days Later…)

The travelers had taken refuge from the driving rain at an outlying Pokemon Center; the storm blotted out what little light there would have been in the dusk, which, combined with the erosion of the dirt pathways by the rain, made any travel impossible.

Brock and Misty had finished eating fifteen minutes before, and Misty was now alone in one of the Center's bedrooms; Brock had gone of off to examine some of the medical techniques used in the Pokemon care there- and, Misty would bet, to flirt with the nurses. At that moment, with all of her usual companions vanished, with not even her beloved Togepi to cuddle, she felt as empty as she could ever remember.

She sighed, and decided it was fortunate that this Center had television sets in its rooms; normally, she wouldn't have any interest in them, but she would go crazy if she had to spend one more minute cooped up in this place with nothing to do (and we all know that an out of sorts Misty is not at all a good thing, eh?)! Half-wondering if there would be any more news from Saffron, she picked up the remote and turned on the screen, not caring what channel came up.

Coincidentally, it was the news once again, though not the same channel on which she had seen Ash a few days before. The thought made her eyebrows twitch with irritation, but it quickly dissipated at the sight of the wrecked buildings onscreen.

"There is still no clue as to the cause behind the wave of vandalism that has plagued the Pokemon Technical Institute over the past few weeks. The school, already the subject of controversy for its supposed competition against Gym Leaders and its rigorous training, is now under fire for not rooting out the source of the seemingly random destruction…."

Misty turned the TV back off. _Like it was going to be any help anyway,_ she thought miserably, with no way of knowing that she would become involved with the matter she had just seen in due time….

A reminder; _please_ review!


	4. Release and Reunion

Review Responses:

Soft Flame Matthias- Did you think that side note was too much Misty- bashing? Because I didn't mean it to be; I just thought it seemed funny. Anyway, thanks for sticking with me so far! And, about your note about Misty's name in the previous review, I'd heard that name before (and also Williams), but I wanted to try something original, as I've never heard a last name in the dub and I should think Waterflower is more of a nickname than a real surname.

DreamyGal- Thanks for joining up! Why do you think this won't end up as AAML? I'm at least as much as an AAML fan as anyone else- not that I'll rush into anything, but do you think I'm going to leave Ash in TR permanently?

Kaxanthedragon- Glad to see you again, and hope you can stay with it!

And anyone else who's reading- review!... But wait until the end of the chapter!

Chapter Three: Release and Reunion

He was barely aware of his own footsteps as they echoed through the corridor, barely even registering the knowledge that he was finally free. Pokemon poaching was nasty, but it could only get you so many months in the hole… especially when conducted in some backwater corner of a place like Ilex. Now, they couldn't do anything to hold him anymore.

The whole process was a blur, which resolved into a view of the warden's office; as the guard who had escorted him walked away, he was left alone with the thin old man sitting behind the desk- and, unusually, one more standing to the side.

"I suppose you've reflected on the importance of this day," Warden Bishop said, rising from his chair. "This is a new chance for you- you may have done some horrible things in the past- never mind, you have. That's why you're here. But none of that matters now. All that matters is what you do from here on out."

Fool. He'd reflected, all right. And he knew this _was_ a new chance. For vengeance.

"As you know, we have been unable to verify your exact point of origin- largely due to your own lack of cooperation." Bishop gave him a piercing look. All he had ever told those who had interrogated him regarding his identity was, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." And the fools wouldn't have, either; there was a good reason why they couldn't find anything out on their own. That was the main reason, in fact, they had kept him here for so long- but how long could you imprison someone just because you didn't know who he was?

"Young Mr. Jiraudan has informed us that you are an extranational working as part of a task force against organized crime- namely, Team Rocket and other such organizations- funded by leading citizens such as his family. Though this story seems to stretch credibility, as we were never informed of such an undertaking- he claims that it was due to the possibility of leaks within regular law enforcement- his sources seem to check out, and I can't have you sitting around here consuming the taxpayers' money anymore without any real charge. And, in exchange for your return, our friend here has promised to keep this division fully informed of your activities."

His friend. He'd never laid eyes on this prissy piece of slime before in his life, but if he had his reasons for extracting the prisoner, that was his business.

"Then it's all settled," Lawrence Jiraudan interjected. "The prisoner will be released into my custody?... I really must thank you for your cooperation."

Bishop nodded and called for the guard. Without another word, Jiraudan turned and walked out, followed by the prisoner. Outside the office, the guard smirked. "Guess you won't be marauding anymore, eh?"

The prisoner grimaced, but was laughing madly inside. For these unenlightened scum knew him as the Iron Masked Marauder- but in higher (or, perhaps, lower) circles, he was signified by one whispered name.

Bisashu- the Vicious One.

And how he looked forward to making that true once again.

"What's pinching your feet now, Erik?" Giovanni was annoyed by his friend and partner in crime's apparent sullenness- even more so than usual, considering how well things were going. Even this stand-in for a vampire should have been a _little_ excited.

Professor Sebastian didn't respond, continuing to peruse the science fiction novel he held.

"Be that way, then. Not even you can dampen my spirits today!" Jason Caligula Giovanni dropped into a chair across the polished wooden table- in one of the Silph tower's spare meeting rooms- from the scientist and rested his feet on the table's surface- displaying a lassitude he would _never_ allow his lesser subordinates to witness- and sighed blissfully, staring at nothing for a moment.

"Tell me," Erik Sebastian spoke a moment later- Jason's head snapped back towards the speaker slightly- "how is it you can love behind-the-scenes manipulations and also love to grandstand so much?"

Jason gave a short laugh. "You know those magic shows we all enjoy- they're all about misdirection, you know that. Wave one hand in the air while the other disposes of an extra card, or the high-tech equivalent."

"…Well, that's a bit hard if you're waving BOTH bllody hands around at the SAME TIME, isn't it? You attract entirely too much attention with your constant need for pomp!"

Giovanni moved his chair back a little, unnerved by Erik's unusual outburst. "Man, for once in your life, try to understand that I _know what I'm doing_. I'm boss around here for a reason, right?"

Erik smirked. "Yes- you inherited it."

Whatever Jason intended to say in response to this died in his throat as the door to the conference room opened and two figures strode in- one much shorter than the other, with a Pikachu perched on a shoulder.

"Ah, hello, my boy!" Giovanni beamed at Ash, but noticed the pensive look on his face.

"We have a couple of visitors," the man behind Ash stated.

"What, Lionel, in addition to the other hundred or so morons coming and going every hour?"

Lionel Dwight, Silph Enterprises' security head and former Viridian Gym Guard, only glanced down at Ash.

"Some… old companions… of mine have dropped by," he answered apprehensively; Pikachu's face was unreadable.

"You don't mean…" Jason wrinkled his brow, but was grinning inside. "Not the ones from Pewter and Cerulean?" A momentary pause on the parts of both in the doorway convinced him to continue. "Well… this has all the makings of a splendid reunion…." He stood and smiled wryly. "I suppose we had better greet our guests."

Sebastian rolled his eyes. "Yes, this is a _wonderful_ bit of sleight of hand."

Giovanni's mouth tightened ever so slightly as he glanced back at his chief scientist. "Do me a favor, Erik… stick to your science, and leave me with mine." With that, he followed the other two through the door, not bothering to close it.

Erik sat there for a moment. "That's two favors- idiot." Sighing, he put down his book, got up, and left, shutting the conference room door.


	5. Into the Liars' Den

Just in case anyone needs reminding (after this insanely long delay- I seem a lot quicker at reading great fics than writing them), Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or any characters or localities therein. I have, however, given full names to several characters. Don't like it, don't have to read it.

Onward at last!

Chapter Four: Into the Liars' Den

Neither Misty nor Brock had particularly fond memories of Saffron City. To begin with, their formative years had been spent with their families as the focus of their life (especially in Brock's case), and were therefore never fully comfortable in bustling metropolises.

Then there was the local Gym Leader, Sabrina, whose psychic prowess and chilling ruthlessness had caused almost anyone to shiver with one look at her. Not to mention that being shrunk, placed in a miniscule village, and almost vindictively squashed to death was an extremely traumatic experience. So, for that matter, was being used as a set of bowling pins. And to finally defeat her, Ash had dragged them all to Lavender Town, seeking a Ghost Pokemon somewhere in Pokemon Tower.

To be fair, of course, she did have a more innocent side, which Ash's incorrigible Haunter had managed to unlock. Yet even without that decent portion of her psyche, confronting her again- knowing that you were "only" dealing with someone standoffish, cold, and occasionally even malevolent- almost seemed safer than the mission they were undertaking now- for one, they were "dealing" with someone who was supposed to be a friend, and they had no idea what had happened to sway him or how to reverse it. That was it in a nutshell- they didn't know anything about what they were doing. Heck, in a situation like this, a ruthless Psychic mistress might not be a bad ally.

But one step at a time.

They had been amazed at their first sight of the Silph Enterprises tower, and its contrast to most of the older, blockier buildings around them; clichéd though the term "space age" was, it applied here perfectly. The structure seemed to be made almost entirely of some sort of white plastic, stretching hundreds of feet into the air, and topping off with a globe, the top half of which seemed, bizarrely, to be covered with mirror. The bottom hemisphere had SILPH printed on it in blue.

Now the travelers were too busy trying to filter through the countless others milling through the lobby to spare much attention for the décor. _Ash never gave much thought to math,_ pondered Misty, _let alone this level of business! The more I nose around this deal, the more it stinks…._

"Pika pi!"

Both Misty and Brock whirled around at the familiar cry. Through a gap in the crowd, a Pikachu- no, they couldn't just think that generally, how could even a year of sorrow erase that peculiar brightness in the eyes and that lively scamper from the mind?- was scurrying towards them on all fours- and 20 or so feet away, the object of their quest was following.

As had so often happened before, Misty didn't know whether she wanted to hug or strangle him.

Yet Ash seemed normal enough now as he ran behind Pikachu; the almost robotic speaker from the televised press conference was absent. "Hey, Brock, Misty, guys!" he grinned as he and his Pokemon arrived. "Great to see you! I can't believe you've come all the way down here."

"Can it." Misty compromised with herself by planting her hands on her hips and giving Ash a piece of her mind (Brock was so far remaining silent, as he so often had before while he worked up the nerve to intervene- this time- however, he felt the redhead would speak better for both of them). "How could you do this to us? We thought you were dead! Even for you this is ridiculous!"

Surprisingly, Ash's smile did not falter at this outburst- perhaps living through so many of them had helped build a tolerance for them. "What can I say? I just… needed to go off and think for a while. People can do that, right? I mean, the Elite Four don't exactly spend a lot of time in public."

"Look… being solitary is one thing, but you can't just run off without any kind of warning!" Brock, agitated as he was, still managed to retain his usual calm.

"I can't go do anything without checking in first, then? Got to let you both know when I have to go use the bathroom?" Ash was still smiling, but it seemed a bit fixed. And something had hardened in his tone….

"Well, then don't bother with us if you don't want to," Misty rejoined, "but you owe it to a lot of other people to stay in touch, people who care about you- Professor Oak, Tracey, even Gary to some extent- dammit, Ash, are you so blockheaded that you've forgotten how much _your mother_ worries about you? If you don't think about anything else, you owe _her_ more respect than this!"

"You're one to talk about respect." Ash's smile had fully inverted itself now. "Following me around like a shadow, nagging me about that stupid bike, getting your kicks from insulting me… I shouldn't be surprised that you bring up Mom when you both try to keep me stuck under your thumbs!... And you're no better for letting them!" he suddenly snapped at Brock.

Pikachu looked almost mournful.

Brock, meanwhile, had finally reached the end of his tether. "Ash, I don't know what's gotten into you, but you really need to come back with us and get straightened out!"

It happened so quickly that they didn't notice it until a second after: Brock's wrist found itself clamped painfully in the boy's hand, and the two of them suddenly became aware of others clustering around them, three or four of them.

"Don't… _ever_… address me that way again," Ash responded quietly, the idealistic young trainer replaced by something darkened and implacable. "I have become far more than I ever could have tethered to the two of you."

His grip slackened, and Brock jerked his hand back out. The three of them- four, if you counted Pikachu- stood silently for a moment.

"Well, what's the trouble here?"

Misty and Brock whirled around; there stood the flamboyantly suited man from the press conference, the giant who apparently ran this show, his face as unreadable as a boulder. "You seem to be bothering my new public-relations head," he continued.

"What in the-"

Brock had the foresight to step in front of Misty before she could finish her outburst. "I'm Brock Fontaine- I used to be the Viridian City Gym Leader- and this is my friend Misty Warrick, one of the Cerulean Leaders. We-" he stopped short for a moment, contemplating Ash's averse reaction to their presence, and how he would react to a statement of their previous relationship- "encountered Ash on his journey, and when we saw him at your televised press conference, we decided to get acquainted again. Considering how you lauded him, it seemed reasonable enough."

_For a family man who spends half his days lovesick,_ Misty thought, _he can spin a good tale!_

Ash himself just stared at Brock, a bit of his old confusion shining through.

"Ah… commendable," Giovanni replied, smiling. "One always needs to keep up with the new blood in any field, from Pokemon training to computers- though I'll admit I leave those to the people who really understand them, right, Doctor?" He glanced back at one of the others who had come up to them, a pale man with a lab coat and a dark goatee, who gave no visible response.

"Well…." Brock, his hastily improvised cover notwithstanding, was lost as to how to prolong this situation.

Giovanni solved that problem handily.

"Now that we've all gotten reacquainted, I'm certain you will not object to leaving us to our work."

Misty and Brock hesitated for a moment, and Giovanni's face hardened again.

"Lionel." He turned to a suited man with a dark crew cut. "Please escort these two _out_ of my building and inform them that if they return without proper business I will have them arrested for trespassing. And 'proper business' is a very loose term."

Lionel Dwight stepped forward and grasped the two trainers by their arms, rather more roughly than they would have liked. A few other uniformed men clustered around them but deferred to their apparent superior.

"You need to learn to not interfere in processes that don't concern you," the tall guard (though not as tall as his employer) hissed to his "captives" as he herded them towards the lobby's doors, which slid open as they approached. The travelers found themselves propelled out, following by the doors sliding shut again.

"You need to learn to not split infinitives, jerk." Brock's patience had finally been exhausted, even if he didn't show it above a mutter.

Misty was steamed too, but somewhere in her mind, wheels were starting to turn.

"…Have you heard from May lately?"


End file.
